Quote:
Originally Posted by nik-
Should we unpack how this is conveyed in spoken language or ...?
|
It's the same criteria, as long as you're referring to a people and not a colour of people, as far as I'm aware, that's probably ok. The reason you don't see it really addressed in spoken language is because the difference is pretty hard to perceive and relies heavily on context.
It's not even like the difference is the difference between "being a racist" and "not being a racist" in written language. "Black" is generally appropriate, the correct usage of it in written language is with a capital B. If you use write it with a lowercase B you're not a bad person or evil or something off the wall like that, you're just not using it correctly. If I refer to the Black community in spoken language, nobody is asking me "Capital B or lowercase B???" and if I were to say "black community" in written language (and I have) the worst I got was "the correct use is with a capital B." It's just mentally wrapping your head around it as an appropriate replacement of "African Americans" or whatever, not as a colour descriptor.
When you get into what March said, where "black" becomes a noun (the blacks, a black, etc.) in written OR spoken language, you're obviously offside.